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19:37 31st August 2012

. . . Swans striker completes Brighton transfer

Swansea City have agreed the transfer of striker Stephen Dobbie to Brighton for an undisclosed fee.
Dobbie, who has attracted interest from a number of Championship clubs in recent months, flew to the American Express Community Stadium late this afternoon to complete a medical, personal terms and sign a three-year contract.
He teams up with fellow Swan Andrea Orlandi who completed his transfer to the Seagulls earlier today, while Marcos Painter and Ryan Harley are already in Gus Poyet’s Championship squad.
Dobbie said: "It was an easy decision. Robert Martinez was the one who got me into English football and Gus Poyet plays a similar style at Brighton.
“It’s the same philosophy as Swansea and Blackpool; trying to keep the ball and play through teams. I’m looking forward learning and working with the manager.
“It’s a hard division and a long slog, but if you play football you can finished around the play-offs. I have won a few, but unfortunately I lost last year. I want to try and help Brighton get up there.
“I like to score goals, but I like to set them up too. I we can get the team promoted that will make me very happy.
“It’s always nice to know people when you come into a new place. I know Marcos Painter and Ryan Harley from Swansea, and obviously Andrea Orlandi signed today as well.
“It’s a bit of a shame that there is a break next week, but I’ll be raring to go. I can’t wait to get started with Brighton. I’m looking forward to playing here and showing the fans what I can do.’’
The Swans signed the highly-rated striker on a free transfer from Queen of the South in the summer of 2009.
Having started his career as a youngster at Rangers, he found it difficult to break into the first team with a host of big-name strikers ahead of him.
It forced him to hit the road to Australian club Northern Spirit (loan); a £300,000 move to Hibernian; St Johnstone and Dumbarton (loan) before settling down at Queen of the South where he finished top scorer in his first season with 19 goals and helped the club reach their first Scottish Cup Final. He topped the charts again the following season with 24 - the First Division's top scorer.
The 27 year-old spent the final four months of season 2009-10 on loan at Blackpool where he scored five crucial goals in 20 appearances to help the Seasiders reach the Premier League via the play-offs.
Despite a Blackpool bid to sign him on a permanent deal, he signed a new contract with the Swans in August 2010.
He enjoyed a fantastic campaign as the front-man in a three-man midfield, scoring 11 goals from 26 league starts and 18 appearances off the bench. Two of his most memorable and vital goals came in the play-off semi-final against Nottingham Forest at the Liberty and against Reading at Wembley as the Swans clinched a place in the Premier League for the first time.
He started the club's first ever Premier League game in the defeat at Manchester City last season, making eight top-flight appearances in all, before he returned to Blackpool on loan as his six goals in ten appearances helped them reach the Play-Off final.

Swansea City would like to wish Stephen good luck at Brighton and thank him for his crucial contribution over the last three years.